Taxation: Self-assessment

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much income was received from  (a) penalty charges and  (b) interest charged to people who did not meet tax return deadlines in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The following information relates to self-assessment tax returns.
	 (a) The following penalty charges were charged for the late submission of self-assessment tax returns. The figures relate to each of the tax assessment years rather than the year in which income was received.
	
		
			  Tax year  £ million 
			 2003-04 73.7 
			 2004-05 126.1 
			 2005-06 113.2 
			 2006-07 149.4 
			 2007-08 (1)— 
			 (1) Return due: Paper: 31 October 2008 Online: 31 January 2009. 
		
	
	Information is only available for four tax years. Information prior to 2003-04, can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	 (b) Interest is not charged for late submission of a self-assessment tax return; interest is charged on the late payment of any income tax due. While interest charges may arise on a tax liability following late submission of a tax return, this information is not available separately from interest charged generally on income tax liabilities that are paid late.